Terror watchdog shake-up needs ‘courage’

The disruption of a plot to bring down an aeroplane shows Australia’s security apparatus is working, a terrorist expert says.

Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull faces the media on Sunday.

The disruption of a terrorist plot to bring down an aeroplane shows Australia’s security apparatus is working effectively and brings into greater focus the risks involved in embracing a new home affairs super portfolio, a terrorist expert has warned.

Deakin University security expert Greg Barton told The Australian the move to a new home affairs ministry would involve a degree of risk because the shake-up could have an impact on operational resourcing during the changeover period.

“There is a transition involved, and it’s the transition that has a level of vulnerability to it,” he said.

“There is a risk that there could be a stress on the system — a major terror plot.

“It’s a period of vulnerability that needs to be considered.”

Professor Barton also argued that the move to a new super portfolio would not be “transform­ative” in overturning how counter-terrorism operations were conducted, with the main objective to instead arrive at an ­arrangement that was “incrementally better”.

“The current system’s worked well. Having gone to all of this trouble of setting up the home ­affairs ministry, a lot of work will be made to try and achieve these incremental improvements,” he said.

Malcolm Turnbull yesterday announced that a major joint counter-terrorism operation had disrupted a terrorist plot to bring down a plane, with four individuals being arrested. He said the operation showed the “tight co-operation and collaboration” between intelligence and security agencies.

The operation was conducted by the NSW Joint Counter Terrorism Team, which includes members of ASIO, the NSW police, the Australian Federal Police and the NSW Crime Commission.

Professor Barton said the move to a new home affairs ministry was a “big picture” call by the Prime Minister, noting that Sir Humphrey Appleby from the TV show Yes Minister might have called it a “courageous decision”.

“What we seemed to have here was a successful operation involving the timely sharing of intelligence,” he said. “With the new home affairs ministry, we would hope to get the same ongoing level of intelligence.”

Earlier this month, Mr Turnbull said he would house Australia’s key security and intelligence agencies within the new portfolio of home affairs under the stewardship of leading conservative and current Immigration Minister Peter Dutton.

The new portfolio will operate in a similar way to Britain’s Home Office with a central department providing strategic co-ordination to a “federation” of independent security agencies.

These will include ASIO, the AFP, the Australian Border Force and the Australian Criminal Intelligence Commission.

Under the overhaul, the Attorney-General will continue to be the issuer of warrants under the ASIO Act despite Mr Dutton bearing political accountability, leading to concerns the changes will lead to a ministerial double-up.